Druid Hills Zeke Nishiramna (4) slips past three McNair defenders for the game-tying touchdown. His Red Devils teammate Nathaniel Green would hit the game-winning PAT in the 21-20 win. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Two fourth quarter touchdowns and a late interception propelled the Druid Hills Red Devils to a 21-20 victory over the McNair Mustangs to break a 19-game-on-the-field losing streak at Godfrey Stadium on Thursday night.
The Red Devils (1-0) had not won a game on the field since September 13 of 2019 when they knocked off Towers 14-7 and broke an eight-game on the field skid to the Mustangs (0-2).
Druid Hills was trailing 20-6 and driving at the McNair eight-yard line following a 14-yard run by Dnard Leach to set up a first and goal as the third quarter ended.
Two plays later Jacquez Cullars lifted a pass to the left corner of the end zone where Bre’lon Cade just got a foot down as he hauled the pass in for a touchdown. Nathaniel Green hit the PAT to make it 14-20 with 11:41 to play.
Druid Hills defense limited McNair to just eight offensive plays in the second half and a negative eight yards. They did the job after the Cade touchdown forcing a three and out by the Mustangs to get the football back.
The McNair defense stepped up and forced a third and 12 as freshman Josiah Johnson sacked Cullars for a five-yard loss to put the Red Devils in a third and 12. On the next play Cullars dropped back and threw it deep down the left sideline where Cade again hauled in the pass just inbounds for a 42-yard gain and the Red Devils were on the march.
Cullars got loose for 22 yards down to the McNair two-yard line. A penalty on the Red Devils pushed them back to the seven, but two plays later Zeke Nishiramna took the shovel pass and cut inside through a hole and into the end zone to tie the game at 20-20 with 3:17 to play. Green’s PAT was good to put Druid Hills up 21-20.
The Red Devils burned twice on kickoffs by McNair’s Malachi Jackson squib kicked the ball and McNair had the football at the midfield stripe with 3:14 to play.
On the second play McNair quarterback Jeremy Victor threw deep down the left side looking for Jackson but Nishiramna was playing deep center field and picked off the pass at the Red Devils’ 27 with 2:33 remaining.
A 31-yard run by Cullars was called back on a holding call and a fumble for a loss of three on the next play put Druid Hills in a third and 12 at its own 23. Cullars was forced to run and scrambled up the left side of the field for 13 yards and first down. Druid Hills would not have to run another play as the team and fans began to celebrate.
McNair’s Malachi Jackson (11) goes up high over Druid Hills’ defensive back Lamar George (12) to score the second of his three touchdowns in the game. The other two came on kickoff returns of 90 and 80 yards. (Photo by Mark Brock)
McNair struck on the opening kickoff as Malachi Jackson fielded the kickoff at his own 10-yard line turned up the field and cut up the middle on the way to a stunning 90-yard touchdown return. Jeremy Victor converted the PAT to make it 7-0 just 18 seconds into the game.
Victor hit Tristan Victor over the middle and receiver made his way down to the Red Devils’ two-yard line before being tackled out of bounds with 9.8 seconds remaining in the first half. Two plays later Jackson went up over a defender to haul in a Victor pass for the touchdown with 4.8 seconds to play. Victor hit the PAT to make it 14-0 at the half.
Druid Hills opened the second with a 51-yard drive finished off on a Cullars 32-yard touchdown run on a quarterback draw. He went right and cut back left, slipped a tackle at the 15 and raced to the left corner of the end zone to cut the lead to 14-7 with 8:24 remaining in the third quarter.
Jackson made the joy on the Druid Hills sideline short-lived as he returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for the touchdown to put the McNair up 20-6 as the PAT failed. Cullars finished with 126 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in the game while added 100 yards and two touchdowns through the air hitting on 10 of 21 passes in the game.
Malachi Jackson’s big three-touchdown night went for naught. He scored on two kick returns and a pass reception.
Redan 34, Stone Mountain 6
Xavian Green scored four touchdowns to lead the Redan Raiders to a 34-6 victory over the Stone Mountain Pirates on Thursday night at Avondale Stadium.
Green scored on a 75-yard punt return, two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown to the lead the Raiders (1-1) to the win. Cameron Groves had a 35-yard pass play to Jabril Dixon for Stone Mountain’s (0-2) lone touchdown.
Berkmar 21, Clarkston 12
The Berkmar Patriots scored in the final four minutes to secure a 21-12 win over the Clarkston Angoras (0-1) at Hallford Stadium on Thursday night.
Clarkston had closed within 14-12 with a pair of second half touchdowns, the second with 4:34 to play, to put some pressure on Berkmar (1-1).
Miller Grove 24, Maynard Jackson 6
The Miller Grove Wolverines traveled to Lakewood Stadium in Atlanta on Thursday night and came away with a 24-6 win over Maynard Jackson.
The win evened the Wolverines record at 1-1 on the season while Jackson fell to 1-1.
DCSD FOOTBALL SCHEDULE – WEEK 2
Thursday, Aug. 25
AVONDALE STADIUM
Redan (1-1) 34, Stone Mountain (0-2) 6
GODFREY STADIUM
Druid Hills (1-0) 21, McNair (0-2) 20
HALLFORD STADIUM
Berkmar (1-1) 21, Clarkston (0-1) 12
AWAY GAME
Miller Grove (1-1) 24, Maynard Jackson (1-1) 6
Friday, Aug. 26
ADAMS STADIUM
Northview (1-0) vs. Lakeside (1-0), 7:30 pm
AVONDALE STADIUM
Woodland-Stockbridge (1-0) vs. Columbia (1-0), 7:30 pm
GODFREY STADIUM
Tucker (1-0) vs. SW DeKalb (0-1), 7:30 pm
NORTH DEKALB STADIUM
Towers (0-1) vs. Chamblee (0-0), 7:30 pm
AWAY GAMES
Cross Keys (0-0) at Community Christian (0-0), 7:30 pm
Arabia Mountain (0-1) at Heritage (1-0), 7:30 pm
Lithonia (0-1) at Rome (1-0), 7:30 pm
M.L. King (0-1) at Winder-Barrow (1-0), 7:30 pm
Saturday, Aug. 27
Miami Edison (0-1) vs. Cedar Grove (1-0), (CANCELLED)
OPEN: Dunwoody (1-0), Stephenson (0-1)